“Democrats have repeatedly indicated that we are willing to work with our Republican counterparts to extend the payroll tax holiday. If it is allowed to expire at the end of this year, Americans will have less money in their pockets, threatening our economic recovery at a critical time. We should not leave for the holidays until Congress has extended the payroll tax holiday, unemployment insurance benefits, and fixed the Medicare physician payment rate. Republicans should not play political games with these critical policies, and I hope that they will work with us to take action on these items quickly.”